BERKELEY REVIEW scores/discussion

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capn jazz

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Just like the EK Verbal 101 thread, this is a thread to talk about how you're doing with the TBR passages. I don't know how people are generally going through these, but I'm doing Phase I and II after reading the chapter, and saving Phase III for after I finish all content review.

I'm currently working on Gen Chem.

Chapter 1:
Phase I: 27/41 = 66% = 10
Phase II: 10/20 = 50% = 8 (ouch!)

Chapter 2:
Phase I: 29/37 = 78% = 11
Phase II: 28/33 = 85% = 13

So far I LOVE the book. I hated Gen Chem and I'm enjoying reading this and I really feel like it's helping me grasp the topics. Hopefully future chapters will continue this trend...

Now it's up to you guys! Keep this thread alive!

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Thanks. How did your BS and PS TBR scores compare to your actual MCAT score?

The real thing was a point or two lower in PS (Pretty solid 13-15 range near the end) as I got a 12 in PS and bio was dead on (12).
 
i got
totally rocked in TBR 5 lol
PS: ROCKED
BS: okay.
VR: hahahah

my test is wednesday. what a confidence booster
 
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Just finished TBR 1 and got a 36!:D Are there any answer explanations that go with TBR exams and where do I find the correct answers once I'm finished?
 
Just finished TBR 1 and got a 36!:D Are there any answer explanations that go with TBR exams and where do I find the correct answers once I'm finished?

From the page that shows you which questions you missed, you click on a question and that should take you to the answered question. From there you can click it again to view the answer (this probably isnt very clear).
 
So I'm pretty much failing at Orgo....for whatever reason my scores on TBR Phase III of orgo have gone significantly down the tubes...I made A's in orgo I and II and was averaging around a 13 on Phases I and II of orgo and now I'm scoring around 10-11 on Phase III of orgo...wtf?!?!?! Should I maybe review the main points of each chapter before attacking Phase III orgo from here on out?
 
Can someone explain to me why Question #47 on Passage 7 of the Electric Circuits section is A and not B. I read their explanation, but it doesn't make any sense to me. I don't understand how opening switch A cuts off the circuit, but opening switch B doesn't? The reason I chose B was because of that very reason.
 
Can someone explain to me why Question #47 on Passage 7 of the Electric Circuits section is A and not B. I read their explanation, but it doesn't make any sense to me. I don't understand how opening switch A cuts off the circuit, but opening switch B doesn't? The reason I chose B was because of that very reason.

In the version I have, choice B is the correct answer. If they were talking about Circuit X, then choice A would be the best answer. In Circuit Y, opening switch B shot off the complete left side of the circuit, while opening switch A would still allow current to flow through Resistor III.
 
hey, it seems like somebody from berkeley review posts here, so i just wanted to make you aware that on pg. 301 of the Bio II book there is a mistake. it says that it is estimated that there are 100,000 human genes. this is outdated. there is actually about 1/4 this amount.

this is an important point because this means that the large number of proteins is a result of alternative splicing and other mechanisms.

somebody might have already made you guys aware of this, but i think it's important to keep your books updated. especially the chapters on molecular biology b/c it is such a rapidly advancing field.
 
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hey, it seems like somebody from berkeley review posts here, so i just wanted to make you aware that on pg. 301 of the Bio II book there is a mistake. it says that it is estimated that there are 100,000 human genes. this is outdated. there is actually about 1/4 this amount.

this is an important point because this means that the large number of proteins is a result of alternative splicing and other mechanisms.

somebody might have already made you guys aware of this, but i think it's important to keep your books updated. especially the chapters on molecular biology b/c it is such a rapidly advancing field.

Thanks for the catch. I'll forward it to the bio author.
 
When it comes to Physics, which book do most people at SDN work from?

(a) Pre-2008

(b) 2009-2010 Homestudy (also the 2009 classroom books)

(c) 2010 beta classroom version (southern California tested in Spring 2010 and all centers in Summer 2010)

I'm noticing that when people post questions, they don't always match in terms of page numbers, question numbers, or in some cases aren't in my book.
 
Hi, I don't know if this has already been posted, but I found two typos in the TBR Chemistry book (ordered like a month ago, it says "Copyright 2012, 2010...1992" on the back of front cover). Anyway, on p. 267, Example 10.9, it asks "What is the emf for the following oxidation-reduction reaction?", but in my text, there is no Figure or indication what the reaction is at all (I had to read the solution to read that this is a reaction with Cl2 and Cu(s)). And then on p. 272, Example 10.12, it references "Figure 10-5", but Figure 10-5 in my book does NOT indicate what specific cations are being used, just "Moxidation(s)|yM Moxidation2+(aq) || zM Mreduction2+(aq)|Mreduction(s)"...I think it means to refer to Example 10.11, which indicates that the cell is composed of Zn and Cu.
 
hey are the CBT's about the same difficulty as the passages at the end of each chapter? I'm scoring lower on the workbook passages (around 11) than I have on AAMC and Kaplan FL's (12-13) so I don't know what's going on.
 
Question:

I bought all of the TBR science books except bio, and I have no idea what you guys are talking about when you say "Phase I, Phase II" - my books just have 10-14 passages at the end of each chapter... What is going on?
 
Greetings 11111111111111,

Hopefully you're not too sensitive about people misspelling your name, because I might have left out one 1 before the third 1 and after the second 1 resulting in only fourteen 1s rather than 15 1s. Please know that I mean this message for you and not for 11111111111111 if I did in fact type one less 1 than necessary.

The phases people are talking about are a suggested apporach to the homework. You can find it at the start of the homework sections in the chemistry books. There are also versions of it floating around this thread, that are specific to the homestudy program. I've attached the version I have from the class (which corresponds to the beta version of the new physics books). The version I'm posting also has a few passages listed that aren't in the books. For homestudy, these slots can be filled with whatever other source you wish to use (or not filled at all, because you'll have plenty to do just from the books).

I've also included a file of the topics and the corresponding pages and passages in the books. It's for targeted review of specific subjects. For instance, if you decide to use the BR biology books for heart physiology, kidney physiology, and cell biology, then it gives you the corresponding reading material and passages. Hopefully it helps organize your study time.

General homework list (the phases): View attachment 15437

Topic List for the Books: View attachment 15438
 
Greetings 11111111111111,

Hopefully you're not too sensitive about people misspelling your name, because I might have left out one 1 before the third 1 and after the second 1 resulting in only fourteen 1s rather than 15 1s. Please know that I mean this message for you and not for 11111111111111 if I did in fact type one less 1 than necessary.

The phases people are talking about are a suggested apporach to the homework. You can find it at the start of the homework sections in the chemistry books. There are also versions of it floating around this thread, that are specific to the homestudy program. I've attached the version I have from the class (which corresponds to the beta version of the new physics books). The version I'm posting also has a few passages listed that aren't in the books. For homestudy, these slots can be filled with whatever other source you wish to use (or not filled at all, because you'll have plenty to do just from the books).

I've also included a file of the topics and the corresponding pages and passages in the books. It's for targeted review of specific subjects. For instance, if you decide to use the BR biology books for heart physiology, kidney physiology, and cell biology, then it gives you the corresponding reading material and passages. Hopefully it helps organize your study time.

General homework list (the phases): View attachment 15437

Topic List for the Books: View attachment 15438

Oh wow, what a helpful post. Thanks a lot!

I have another question - I'm thinking about purchasing the 3 TBR MCATs for $100 total, how fast will I be granted access to the exams? Will I have to mail in another order form and a check? Will they send me an email with a link I can follow? Thanks.
 
Oh wow, what a helpful post. Thanks a lot!

I have another question - I'm thinking about purchasing the 3 TBR MCATs for $100 total, how fast will I be granted access to the exams? Will I have to mail in another order form and a check? Will they send me an email with a link I can follow? Thanks.

If you call in advance, they have been known to open the accounts over the phone, before your check arrives. It's a case-by-case situation. Ask for Elliot, as he is the one who controls the knobs and buttons on the big BR master computer at the world domination center (or something like that).
 
Is it just me or are the passages for Physics Ch 10 (light and optics) pretty insane? Thumbing through my AAMC's, I've done ok on optics...getting about 80% of optics questions correct but on TBR physics Ch. 10 passages...I only got about 50% correct.:scared::eek: Anybody else notice this or is it all just me?
 
Is it just me or are the passages for Physics Ch 10 (light and optics) pretty insane? Thumbing through my AAMC's, I've done ok on optics...getting about 80% of optics questions correct but on TBR physics Ch. 10 passages...I only got about 50% correct.:scared::eek: Anybody else notice this or is it all just me?

They must have been a bit insane, because when I compared my older physics book to the latest one, they changed out four entire passages.

I'm hoping this thread returns to it's original stream of scores, because I am really curious how people are doing on the new physics exams. Please post your scores on the 25-question reviews and the 52-question tests as you do them.
 
BerkTech,

is there a way to acquire the physics newer editions. I purchased my stuff this past summer so I assume it's the 2009-2010 homestudy version but I'd prefer to be working with the latest stuff. Some sort of discount for us who just missed the cutoff of new-to-old editions?
 
They must have been a bit insane, because when I compared my older physics book to the latest one, they changed out four entire passages.

I'm hoping this thread returns to it's original stream of scores, because I am really curious how people are doing on the new physics exams. Please post your scores on the 25-question reviews and the 52-question tests as you do them.

I remember hovering around ~50% on TBR optics passages. They were HARD! Ended up with a 12 on the PS of the real thing though...
 
Are people are still doing this? No one seems to be updating us with their scores...

here are my BR Phase 1 scores (for physics I just did the first 3 passages of the section)

CHEM:
1 - I don't know where I recorded this :(
2- 93% 3 - lost? 4- 89 5- 69 6- 89 7-86 8-84 9-83 10-81

PHYS:
1-90 2- lost 3-90 4-90 5-90 6-71 7-76 8-71 9-67 10-90

ORGO:
1-83 2-71 3-89 4-86 5-79 6-83 7-100 8-82

I haven't done any bio passages yet but I've read all of BR and EK Bio, except the BR chapter on reproduction which is horribly written and disjointed. I also felt that the physics chapters were uneven in quality and I think that is reflected in my passage scores above. I will probably use my physics textbook for the subjects that BR did not cover as well as I needed.

After doing Phase 1 of BR I took my first AAMC practice test (AAMC3) and scored a 41 (14 PS, 14 VR, 13 BS).

I'm going to start Phase 2 tomorrow and then doing TPR Hyperscience workbook and then doing Phase 3 of BR before hitting the BR and AAMC FLs. I will also take a FL after TPR and maybe after Phase 2. I haven't decided yet. I'm kind of anxious to see if my first FL score was a fluke.
 
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Are people are still doing this? No one seems to be updating us with their scores...

here are my BR Phase 1 scores (for physics I just did the first 3 passages of the section)

CHEM:
1 - I don't know where I recorded this :(
2- 93% 3 - lost? 4- 89 5- 69 6- 89 7-86 8-84 9-83

PHYS:
1-90 2- lost 3-90 4-90 5-90 6-71 7-76 8-71 9-67 10-90

ORGO:
1-83 2-71 3-89 4-86 5-79 6-83 7-100 8-82

I haven't done any bio passages yet but I've read all of BR and EK Bio, except the BR chapter on reproduction which is horribly written and disjointed. I also felt that the physics chapters were uneven in quality and I think that is reflected in my passage scores above. I will probably use my physics textbook for the subjects that BR did not cover as well as I needed.

My first AAMC practice test (AAMC3) was a 41 (14 PS, 14 VR, 13 BS)

I'm going to start Phase 2 tomorrow and then doing TPR Hyperscience workbook and then doing Phase 3 of BR before hitting the BR and AAMC FLs. I will also take a FL after TPR and maybe after Phase 2. I haven't decided yet. I'm kind of anxious to see if my first FL score was a fluke.

That is beastly. My real score reflected my AAMC3 score, so who knows? :luck:
 
Ok I am sorry. Why on the face of the earth is this companies website so awful?

In this day in age I really need to fill out a form and send it in the mail to get a book rather than just e commerce?

Are you serious?
 
so this is my dilemma, I just received my BR books a couple of days ago and i started with chem alternating with phys...anyway this is the thing- i am writing the test in April ---i know is a long time, but i'm non-trad i.e job two kiddos,wife, mortgage,etc--- made a study schedule that will take me until Jan to finish all content review for everything and i was wondering whether i should wait and start my BR phases now or wait until im done with everything and then start working on the phases. I don't want to run out of such great passages early in the game....any word?
 
so this is my dilemma, I just received my BR books a couple of days ago and i started with chem alternating with phys...anyway this is the thing- i am writing the test in April ---i know is a long time, but i'm non-trad i.e job two kiddos,wife, mortgage,etc--- made a study schedule that will take me until Jan to finish all content review for everything and i was wondering whether i should wait and start my BR phases now or wait until im done with everything and then start working on the phases. I don't want to run out of such great passages early in the game....any word?
I did phase I when I finished reading each chapter except for Bio, and I would recommend the same for you, just because for every other subject you really only learn the material once you practice it.

If you are worried about running out of passages there is also The Princeton Reviews Hyperlearning MCAT Science Workbook which people say is good. I have a copy but haven't used it yet. Once you run through that you can start doing full length exams from Gold Standard, Berkeley Review and the official AAMC ones. That should easily keep you occupied and on point until April. I wouldn't worry about running out of material.

You can always redo the BR passages too. After a couple of months you more or less forget most of the answers so I think its still good practice.

Good luck.
 
I did phase I when I finished reading each chapter except for Bio, and I would recommend the same for you, just because for every other subject you really only learn the material once you practice it.Good luck.


Thanx chamaco, good points. I have the TPRH books and are pretty good practice...dont know for sure yet but i think BR's are better. Maybe i'm biased dunno. So yeah i guess there's plenty of material out there to keep me busy, but you know how lots of people advise against double dipping on your passages and what not...I think i can't be that bad i mean if anything it will tell you what you really need to focus on...
 
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K...As I work though BR GChem Phase I, I know Im not supposed to time myself. I have issues with timing so I decided that although I would not totally rush myself for phase I problems, I'd try to to them in a reasonable time, i.e 8-10 min. Well it happen that I have been taking way more time (avg around 14 min) per passage. Been getting dead on 70's (BTW I will post when i'm done with all of Phase I). I think I have a serious issue here with timing, but really dunno. Any word of advise from all the BR expert in here? Am I freaking out? I personally think I need to speed up but then again maybe these passages are too long for a 10min/passage...dunno...word?
 
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"6. D is correct. The heat released when steam is condensed in the condenser is dissipated through the walls of the system to the external environment and thus is wasted energy. This makes choice A an invalid statement. Both a gas and a liquid are fluids, so both are capable of flowing through the pump. The density of a liquid does not necessarily impact the ease with which it flows. The ease with which it flows depends on its viscosity, which may or may not parallel density. This eliminates choice B. The piston in the cylinder is hot from the steam, so condensing gas in a nearby chamber does not affect the temperature of the piston. The boiling point of water and the condensation temperature of steam are both 100?C, so the chambers adjacent to the piston are at 100?C. The piston is likely going to be at 100?C, so condensing the steam in the condenser does not result in a decrease in the temperature of the piston. Choice C is an invalid statement. When the vapor is condensed into a gas, the pressure in the condenser is reduced. This results in the pressure in the condenser being lower than the pressure in the piston. Because of the pressure differential between the piston chamber and the condenser, steam flows from the piston through the exhaust port and into the condenser (from a region of higher pressure to a region of lower pressure). Flow is made easier, when the exhaust gas is condensed into a liquid once inside of the condenser. The correct choice is D."

I would like to know how am I suppose to grade each Phases. For example for Phase one should I add every question I got right and divide that by how many questions I took in Phase 1 or how many questions are given in the chapter together. I would like to know how I should grade each phases to compare my scores.

Thanks Berk Tech
 
K...As I work though BR GChem Phase I, I know Im not supposed to time myself. I have issues with timing so I decided that although I would not totally rush myself for phase I problems, I'd try to to them in a reasonable time, i.e 8-10 min. Well it happen that I have been taking way more time (avg around 14 min) per passage. Been getting dead on 70's (BTW I will post when i'm done with all of Phase I). I think I have a serious issue here with timing, but really dunno. Any word of advise from all the BR expert in here? Am I freaking out? I personally think I need to speed up but then again maybe these passages are too long for a 10min/passage...dunno...word?

The reason for not timing the passage son Phase I is that they're not meant to be like a practice test. They review the material and generally have questions that require you to go through each answer choices. Nobody finishes those on time, because they are meant to be about two minutes per question. Getting 70% correct is pretty good, but the bigger question is how you would do if you saw those questions (or ones just like them) again. If you think you could get 80% or more correct, then you are doing great. Keep in mind it's where you're going that matters, not where you're at.
 
The reason for not timing the passage son Phase I is that they're not meant to be like a practice test. They review the material and generally have questions that require you to go through each answer choices. Nobody finishes those on time, because they are meant to be about two minutes per question. Getting 70% correct is pretty good, but the bigger question is how you would do if you saw those questions (or ones just like them) again. If you think you could get 80% or more correct, then you are doing great. Keep in mind it's where you're going that matters, not where you're at.

Thank you BerkReview...I see what you are saying...in other words I better learn from these passages and forget about timing myself for now. Sounds good I'll heed your advise. I think ill even make some notes for my postgame from those review passages, some of then actually got tough.
 
Also can I please have the homestudy schedule as well as the homework schedule, please. I am starting chemistry today after my health career club meeting. Thanks :)

I hope this isn't too late to respond, but the schedules can be found by clicking on the correpsonding lonk in my signature.
 
I cant open your link. Can you send me another one?

Greetings 11111111111111,

Hopefully you're not too sensitive about people misspelling your name, because I might have left out one 1 before the third 1 and after the second 1 resulting in only fourteen 1s rather than 15 1s. Please know that I mean this message for you and not for 11111111111111 if I did in fact type one less 1 than necessary.

The phases people are talking about are a suggested apporach to the homework. You can find it at the start of the homework sections in the chemistry books. There are also versions of it floating around this thread, that are specific to the homestudy program. I've attached the version I have from the class (which corresponds to the beta version of the new physics books). The version I'm posting also has a few passages listed that aren't in the books. For homestudy, these slots can be filled with whatever other source you wish to use (or not filled at all, because you'll have plenty to do just from the books).

I've also included a file of the topics and the corresponding pages and passages in the books. It's for targeted review of specific subjects. For instance, if you decide to use the BR biology books for heart physiology, kidney physiology, and cell biology, then it gives you the corresponding reading material and passages. Hopefully it helps organize your study time.

General homework list (the phases): View attachment 15437

Topic List for the Books: View attachment 15438
 
after doing so well in organic 1 and 2 in college last year, looks like my effort went down the drain:

Chapter 1, phase 1 organic chem

24/43 ==> about 8 i think :eek:
 
On my chapter 1 physics 52 questions, i got like 6-7. I got A's both semester in physics. I think I have a lot of trouble reading passages. :(

They must have been a bit insane, because when I compared my older physics book to the latest one, they changed out four entire passages.

I'm hoping this thread returns to it's original stream of scores, because I am really curious how people are doing on the new physics exams. Please post your scores on the 25-question reviews and the 52-question tests as you do them.
 
after doing so well in organic 1 and 2 in college last year, looks like my effort went down the drain:

Chapter 1, phase 1 organic chem

24/43 ==> about 8 i think :eek:

I'm having similar problems early on. I'm on day 4 of preparing, (doing 1/3 of the passages rather than all of them at once), and I'm on pace for getting 8-9 in just about everything so far. I'm realizing that I'm just not READING actively enough (both in the passages and the chapters), and so I'm going to start really emphasizing focused reading, and making sure I really have a solid grasp on the concepts before diving into the passages.
 
I just tried a passage from the Metabolic Pathways section of Berkeley Review am literally in shock. Is this what the real MCAT is like? I did really well in Biochemistry, but that was detailed beyond even my class.
 
I just tried a passage from the Metabolic Pathways section of Berkeley Review am literally in shock. Is this what the real MCAT is like? I did really well in Biochemistry, but that was detailed beyond even my class.

Lol...yeah that's a tough one.
 
on phase 2 for physics, starting fluids and solids tomorrow...will update scores when I finish....do people note take while they read or just read? I've been watch khan academy videos then read the chapter..helps me reinstate major concepts, note taking seems useless to me right now
 
on phase 2 for physics, starting fluids and solids tomorrow...will update scores when I finish....do people note take while they read or just read? I've been watch khan academy videos then read the chapter..helps me reinstate major concepts, note taking seems useless to me right now

The only notes you might want to take are the things (equations, etc...) that you needed when solving the multiple chocie questions incorporated in the reading section.
 
I love love love BR so far. The thing that worries me is that a lot of the passage-related questions seem very easy, and I'm hoping it's not causing me to grow a falsely inflated sense of confidence. There have been a few times when I did very well on the BR passages, only to have my ass handed to me by EK on the same topics. Guess that's why it's good to use a few different sources.
 
I love love love BR so far. The thing that worries me is that a lot of the passage-related questions seem very easy, and I'm hoping it's not causing me to grow a falsely inflated sense of confidence. There have been a few times when I did very well on the BR passages, only to have my ass handed to me by EK on the same topics. Guess that's why it's good to use a few different sources.

That is, by far, one of the most backwards things I've seen on these boards. It's the exact opposite for most everyone else.
 
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